The best quotes from day two of the World Whiskies Conference in London. See our previous entry for quotes from yesterday (20 April) and see the just-drinks blog for a brief roundup of news we’ve picked up in and around the conference hall.
“Spain: Jesus,” Dave Broom, whisky writer and tasting expert, on the sales decline for Scotch whisky in Spain over the last 12 months.
“Although I’m Scottish, I’m not a pessimist,” Dave Broom.
“To think that the sky is falling in on the Scotch whisky industry [because of the economic downturn] would be absolutely crazy. It’s a long-term business. We’ve been here before and we know how to handle it,” Diageo Classic Malts marketing director Nick Morgan.
“The real issue is brands. I don’t think that people really drink categories, I think they drink brands. People who invest in their brands are going to do very well,” David King, Berry Bros & Rudd.
“We’ve got GBP500 to GBP600m of investment coming on-line in three, five, ten or 15 years. That whisky’s got to find a home,” Campbell Evans, of the Scotch Whisky Association.
“A whisky conference? Look – I’d much rather be in there,” anonymous delegate passing by to attend a neighbouring medical conference.
